


First Dates (Are Supposed to Be Great)

by intaeresting



Series: It's Complicated (A Zina series) [2]
Category: Bob's Burgers (Cartoon)
Genre: A lot of kissing, Affection, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Kissing, Not all characters that are tagged are actually in the story, Original Character(s), Please read notes, Zeke tries his best, Zina - Freeform, Zina supremacy, like a lot, rewritten, zeke's pov, zena - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intaeresting/pseuds/intaeresting
Summary: Zeke finally gets his first date with Tina.  His goal is to have the perfect day with her.  The obstacle?  Seemingly everything.
Relationships: Jocelyn (Bob's Burgers)/Tammy Larsen, Tina Belcher/Zeke (Bob's Burgers)
Series: It's Complicated (A Zina series) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143269
Comments: 13
Kudos: 19





	1. The Perfect Date

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Just to let you guys know, this might be the last fic I’m going to post in a while. I firstly want to thank the anon who gave me the critiques I needed to change this fic for the better. I’m not a good writer and I know that my fics need a lot of improvement, so I’m thankful for the feedback (and for being honest about being uncomfortable by a certain part of the fic, which I removed)! There are so many great writers in the Zina fandom, and I feel like my writing is subpar (I’m working hard to improve my writing tho! I’m gonna enroll in some creative writing classes next school year). I know that I have good concepts, but I don’t have the skills necessary to turn them into a good story. 
> 
> I still want to be involved in the fandom, and the people in it! If you guys want Zina content from me, I post doodles on my Tumblr (I even post fanart of fanfics I like): (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/plooflees) I’d appreciate a follow if you like the work you see :D (and feel free to message me, I love talking to people!)

Zeke isn’t the ansty type, but he can’t stop looking at the clock over the classroom door. He’s been watching that damn clock ever since his last period started. There are only 10 minutes left until the class is over but Zeke is restless to the point where he’s drumming his fingers against his desk; a nervous tick he picked up. _Why does the time always slow down when yer watchin’ it?_ Anticipation is mixing with his frustration, knowing that in exactly 10 minutes, he’s gonna walk—no — run to Tina’s locker to pick her up for their first date. 

“Zeke, dude, what’s up?” 

Zeke feels a poke on his bicep. He turns his attention back to his buddy, Craig. On a normal day, they’d be chatting about the things that are on their minds, which mostly consists of sports, but Zeke didn’t feel like talking about wrestling today. His thoughts were full of Tina, and Craig already listened to an earful about her during their last class.

“Err, sorry Craig. Kinda waitin’ to get out of here, truthfully.” 

“Excited about your date with the Belcher girl?” Craig put down the pencil he poked Zeke with, eager to get a conversation going. “You said that you have some plans with her.”

“I suppose so,” Zeke responds, feeling butterflies in his stomach. The fluttering feeling wasn’t unfamiliar to him when talking about Tina. “I’ve been thinkin’ bout this scenario for years now, and the fact that she finally wants to try somethin’ with me is...” 

“...Exhilarating?” Craig looks at his friend with amused curiosity. 

“...Whut that mean-“ 

“And you call me the ‘dumb football captain.’” 

“That’s ‘cuz ya are, mostly,” Zeke says, a playful smirk forming on his face. He loved messing around with his friend who often took his bait. “Of course, I ain’t the sharpest tool out there either.” 

“Damn right you aren’t,” Craig playfully says back. “I remember when you told me that you thought your friendship ended with Tina when you messed up your part of the biology project speech.” 

“It ain’t my fault that I wasn’t payin’ attention to how a cat uterus works.” 

“If looks could kill,” Craig laughs. “Tina’s stare alone would’ve sent you six feet under.”

“Mmm.” He felt his attention wandering off again, back to that damn clock. 

_Damn, only 2 minutes passed by? Ya serious?_

“...Surprised that she decided to go out with you.” Craig gets Zeke’s attention back with those words. He's talking still, even though Zeke’s head is in the clouds. Zeke has a bad habit of tuning people out; a habit that Gene often berates him for. 

“Say whut now?” He responds with his normal catchphrase, hoping that Craig didn’t notice that he isn't listening. 

“I was saying that I’m surprised that she wants to go out with you. Not that you’re bad or anything. You’re a catch, man. But Tina kinda hated you? And was drooling after Jim since like, freshman year. What’s up with that?” Craig leans back in his seat, his foot resting over the other. 

“Yea,” Zeke says, unsure himself. “T-Bird said she felt stuff fer me before, but she didn’t know it or somethin’. Saw me as a friend until last weekend.” 

“Isn’t that weird to you? Feels like she’s treating you as a rebound or something. Didn’t Jim dump her for my ex?” 

“Yep,” Zeke avoids Craig’s eye contact. He knows that Craig had a point, and he is doubtful himself. Everyone knows that Tina dates around when she wasn’t with Jimmy Jr. How is he any different? Craig’s voice turns into background noise as the cogs in Zeke’s brain start to turn.

_Sure, there’s doubt in his mind. He can’t deny that, but he focuses hard on his trust in Tina. She reassured him that she liked-liked him the night of the confession. As far as he knew, he hasn’t seen her go after any other guys at their school since. She’s been spending a lot more time with him. She’s enthusiastic when he picks her as his lab partner and they talk now, instead of the silence they shared before. She dropped the “I don’t like you” act, and she’s acting like the Tina he knows at the restaurant. She’s being a lot more touchy towards him and takes any opportunity to brush their shoulders together when they walk in the hallways, or sometimes even sneaks her fingers through his. She’s showing interest in him, but how long is it going to last?_

Zeke hates feeling any sort of doubt towards Tina. He knows that she makes the best decisions in the end, and he admires her newfound assertion. But now her decisions concern him, and the last thing Zeke wants is for Tina, the girl who he trusts and loves, to break his heart. 

“...You spaced out again, didn’t you?” 

“Uh-huh.” Zeke shamelessly glances at the clock again. _5 more minutes._

“Jeez, you’re a himbo, dude. I said that Tina isn’t over Jim. I don’t know why she isn’t, he sucks.” 

“C’mon, man,” Zeke didn’t appreciate his friend’s trash talk, despite not being Jimmy Jr's biggest fan himself. “Ya know how much J-Ju looks up to ya.”

“I don’t want that guy looking up to me. He’s a huge jerk and has Tina wrapped around his finger. I’m worried about you, dude.”

Most of the people at school know not to talk about the boys in their company, but others don’t get the hint. He knows that Craig has his well-being in mind, but he already thinks about Tina and Jimmy Jr.’s relationship enough. It’s a topic that he doesn’t want to talk about. 

Luckily for him, the school bell conveniently rings, like music in his ears. 

“Nice talk, Craig. I’m gonna head out.” Zeke took the bell as an excuse to dismiss himself from their conversation.

He quickly shoves his belongings into a messy heap in his bag and leaves before Craig could say anything more.

_________________________________________________

The rush to Tina’s locker is a daily routine that Zeke memorized. He runs down the stairs, accidentally shouldering a few people along the way. When he reaches the bottom, he turns the right corner and her locker is at the end of the hall. Tina’s classroom is downstairs, so he always arrives before her. With a prep to his step, Zeke makes his way to her locker. 

The janitor’s closet swings open and before Zeke knows it, pink acrylic nails dig into his flesh. Tammy Larsen pulls him in, closing the door behind her. Zeke can’t control the “Ah shit” escaping his lips, praying that the blonde in front of him didn’t hear. 

_Tina’s locker was at the end of the hallway, he was so close yet so far._

“Zeke, I like, need a favor from you,” Tammy wastes no time. “I need you to come with me again as a ‘date’ with my parents.” 

Zeke could only stand there dumbfoundedly, trying to process the request. 

“Great? Great. Come over at like, 7.” Tammy says with satisfaction. She turns to leave, but Zeke stops her.

“Okay, what.” She asks, crossing her arms. It sounds more like a demand than a question. 

“I can’t do that for ya anymore, Sorry Tam.” 

Zeke swears that he sees the fiery pits of hell within Tammy’s questioning eyes. All he could do is cross his fingers and hope that she wouldn’t throw a temper tantrum. 

“What. Did. You. Say. Just. Now.” 

"I said that I can’t be yer pretend boyfriend anymore. I have a real date with T-Bird.” 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you said,” Tammy says. “How am I supposed to explain to my parents that, like, a boy who I was ‘crazy about’ suddenly dumped me?” 

“I dunno, Tam,” Zeke sighs, running his fingers through his hair. “How bout ya just tell them the truth bout Jocelyn?” 

“Not happening.” 

“Then find another guy who’s willin’ to do my job.” Zeke backs away from her and opens the closet door very slightly to check if Tina was at her locker yet. She luckily wasn’t there, but Gene was. And if Gene was there first, that means that Tina is gonna be there any minute. 

“Listen, Tam. I gotta go.” 

“You’re not going anywhere.” Tammy snarls in a threatening manner. Normally, Zeke would stay and hear her out. Today wasn't the case, _it had to be perfect for Tina._

Zeke dismisses her the best he could and walks out of the closet. Tammy was calling after him, but he didn’t react. If he stayed, she'd talk her way into him agreeing to her plans, which he wasn't going to do. He wasted enough time talking to her, anyways. 

The second bell rings, meaning that Tina is definitely out of class now. Gene notices him and waves him over. 

“Did my eyes deceive me? Did I see Zeke and Tammy in a closet together?” Gene asks, his eyebrows raised behind his bangs. “You guys were having a closet party and I _wasn’t_ invited?”

“There’s nothin’ goin’ on, Gene,” Zeke replies as nonchalantly as possible. Gene telling Tina his conspiracies about him is the last thing he needs. 

“What’s the nothing going on?” Tina suddenly appears behind Zeke, momentarily startling him. _She sure knew how to make an entrance._ He wonders if she saw what Gene did and was playing dumb, but knowing Tina, she probably didn't see the exchange.

“T-Bird!” Zeke recovers, scooping her up into a hug. “I missed ya, girl.” 

“You saw me an hour ago, Zeke,” Tina answers, while she pushes her bangs out of her eyes. 

"Doesn’t mean I can’t miss ya!” Zeke says.

“Zeke can lift you? Unfair! Zeke, lift me next!” 

“Nah, being lifted is a T-Bird privilege only.” Zeke smiles at the girl in his arms. He is delighted to see a light blush dust over her cheeks. Her eyes cast behind his shoulder, focusing on someone behind them.

“Oh. Hey, Tammy.” 

Zeke visibly cringes at the name. He should've made sure that she left; he is being careless. Tammy's gonna mess stuff up for him, he can feel it. He wants to take Tina and run for it, but he knows that Tammy already locked on to her prey.

The girl in question struts her way across the hallway floor next to Zeke, totally ignoring Tina. Irritation pricks Zeke’s skin as he feels her long nails rest on his arm. 

“Heyyyy, Zeke,” Tammy says, sweetly. “Are you ready for tonight?” 

_Yep. She was trying to start problems._

“Tonight?” Tina presses, eyeing Zeke. Fear bubbles in his gut. _Please don’t misinterpret this, T-Bird._

“I already said no, Tam,” Zeke can’t stand his friend’s manipulative ways. He should’ve known that Tammy wouldn’t leave the conversation as it was. He grinds his teeth, trying to pick his words very carefully, as to not expose Tammy. “Ya need to find someone else.” 

“But Zeke-y,” Tammy began, her face getting closer to his. “You already said yes, remember?” 

“I didn’t,” He is talking to Tina more than he is to Tammy. “Gene saw us chattin’ before ya arrived, right man?” 

Gene chooses to say nothing, favoring to eat the peanut butter crackers that are in his pocket. He looks at Zeke with knowing eyes, but he is too invested in what is going to happen to speak up. Gene's silence stings, but Zeke already knows how much this boy lives for drama. He’s on his own in this verbal exchange.

“You must be, like, confused,” Tammy bats her fake eyelashes innocently. “We had a date scheduled for tonight!”

“We don’t.” Zeke’s voice hardens. 

Tammy inserts herself in between him and Tina, shoving her aside. Zeke instinctively steps away, not wanting Tammy in his personal space. 

“Aww, is it hard to like, admit that in front of your side piece of something?” She looks Tina up and down. “Sorry, Tina. He’s mine for tonight. You can have him after I’m done with him, sound good?” 

Zeke pulls Tina back into him out of instinct to keep her close. He feels her glasses bump against his cheek. He refuses to let Tammy play her mind games on either of them. He needs Tammy to leave them alone, and he’ll tell her through any means necessary. Before he could say anything, Gene steps forward. _Finally._

“Oh you didn’t, sister,” Gene says, wiping the cracker crumbs from his face. “My sister isn’t a side piece to any guy.” 

_At least he defends his sister._

“Sorry, Gene. Didn’t know you were there. It's, like, hard not to see you when you take up the whole hallway. I should probably get new contacts.” 

“Oh please,” Gene huffs. “Fat-shaming died out years ago Tammy, like your fashion sense. Get with the times! Thick thighs save lives!” 

“Keep telling yourself that,” Tammy says, with malice. “Your delusions are almost as bad as Tina’s.” 

"Delusions? You're one to talk with that hair color!"

"My hair color fits me. Just like your farts fit you."

"My farting builds character!" 

"At least you have a character, unlike Tina." Tammy looks in said girl's direction.

“Get outta here, Tam,” Zeke interjected. At times like these, he questions why he is still friends with her. 

“I’m not leaving unless you’re coming with me.” She stands defiantly in front of him.

Tina was pretty quiet during the whole ordeal, but her voice breaks through Tammy's. 

“You could just ask your girlfriend out on a date instead.” She offers. 

This throws both Zeke and Tammy off. Tammy sputters in disbelief, while Zeke looks at her in surprise. He didn’t want to insult the woman of his dreams, but she has a hard time reading through the lines in most situations. Her knowing that Tammy liked girls isn't something he expected. 

“W-Where did you hear that from, Tina Belcher?” Tammy’s eyes dart dangerously between Zeke and Gene, silently accusing them. 

“Nobody had to tell her! There is no heterosexual explanation to how Jocelyn interacts with you!” 

“There’s probably an explanation, but yeah. Tammy’s obvious.” Tina agrees. 

“I-It can’t be, like, that obvious. Not ‘Tina Belcher noticing’ obvious.” She looks at Zeke in horror, he can feel her clinging on to him for validation. 

“That’s why I suggested ya just come clean, Tam,” Zeke says, pitying the girl. “Ya kinda are that obvious.” 

Tammy’s face went pale. Turning her heel, she storms off without saying a proper word to the trio. Zeke can only think "poor thing" seeing her go. His attention quickly falls back to Tina, as he realizes what Tammy implied. 

“Well, that was awkward,” Tina clears her throat, her eyes lingering on Tammy's disappearing figure. 

“I never went out with Tammy on a real date, by the way. She sometimes took me out cuz I was the only single guy she knew.” Zeke adds, the words coming out too quickly. Tammy might be dating Jocelyn now, but he acknowledges that she liked him in the past. He didn’t want Tina to think that they were ever together. 

Tina looked at him blankly, which scared him even more. She was a hard chick to read, and Zeke didn’t know what was going through her brain right now. 

“Um, okay.” 

“Sorry if mentionin’ it right now is a bad time, I just don’t want no misconceptions or nothin’.” 

“You not liking Tammy is even more obvious than her love for women,” Gene adds in. “You were like Jimmy Jr. if he had the gall to reject Tina.”

Zeke cringes, not liking the comparison. Out of all the people that Gene had to compare him to, it was Jimmy Jr.

“He’s nothing like Jimmy Jr., Gene.” Tina lightly scolds. “Zeke is stronger, friendlier, and a better kisser.”

“No comments about Zeke’s butt? Who are you and where is Tina Belcher?” 

“I am Tina, Gene. Oh, you were being sarcastic.” 

“Typical T-Bird,” Zeke says while picking up her bag. “We ready to go?” 

“Hey! I want my bag carried too!” Gene shoves his backpack into Zeke’s free arm, knocking the life out of him. 

Zeke doesn’t mind being the pack mule, but it is way harder to keep up with Gene and Tina with two extra bags. Even if he is on the wrestling team, it’s a struggle. Gene is already waiting next to his truck before he crosses the gates out of Huxley High. He wonders what Gene keeps in his backpack. The thing is heavier than both his and Tina's bags combined. Nonetheless, Zeke did his best to ignore his achy arms. Tina walks ahead of him, but checks to make sure that he’s holding up.

“If only Gene was as fast at servin’ tables as he is in gettin’ out of school.” Zeke jokes, hoping to make Tina laugh. To his delight, she did. 

“He’s eager to get home. I made him some lemon meringue pie as payment for working our shifts.” 

“D’aww, ya should’ve saved the pie fer us! Would’ve been a nice snack. Yer good cookin’ is wasted on Gene.” 

Tina surprisingly blushes at his comment. Her blushing makes him blush, because how couldn’t he? She’s pretty and seeing her like that can make any man love-stricken. 

“You think my cooking is good?” She asks, fiddling with her scrunchie that was barely in her hair. 

“O-Of course, girl!” Zeke catches himself stuttering again, something only Tina can make him do. “There’s a reason why Mr. B lets ya cook with us sometimes.” 

“Oh,” Tina gives him _that_ look that makes his heart race faster than a greyhound. “I’ll cook us something for our next date.” 

“Yer plannin’ out our next date already?” Zeke feels his heart pump rapidly in his chest.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

Dammit, Zeke wanted to kiss this woman. He felt himself leaning forward towards Tina, and-

“OK! WE GET IT! YOU GUYS ARE ADORABLE! WE STILL NEED TO PICK UP LOUISE, SO SAVE THE KISSING FOR YOUR DATE!” Gene shouts from the parking lot. 

-opportunity ruined. 

__________________________

Out of all the people in the world, Zeke loves the Belchers most of all. Gene and Louise are his best friends, Tina is an angel who he’s secretly planning to marry, while Bob and Linda are the parents he never had. There is no other family that he would rather spend his time with. But right now is the exception. He felt like he wanted to slam his head into the steering wheel as soon as Louise sat her butt in his truck. 

“Do I look like a bitch??,” Louise rants, sarcasm laced in her words. “Just bend me over right now, Z. ‘Cuz you’re fucking me good right now!” 

Louise had a lousy day at Wagstaff or something because she is being insufferable right now. When Tina reminded her that Louise is covering her shift, she immediately threw a tantrum. Zeke normally finds Louise to be a mature mastermind, but she is being the equivalent of a whiny baby at the moment. He tries his best to bite his tongue through the flurry of insults that Louise is yelling at Tina. Zeke knows that Tina could fight her own battles.

“Louise,” Tina glares. “Stop it.” 

“Dearest older sister,” Gene says, inserting himself in the heated debate. “Our little sister has a point. Covering both of your shifts is gonna suck. Father is gonna complain about how we run things.” 

“If you’re making it rain napkins, then yes Gene, dad is going to yell at you.” Tina groans. 

“How about you just have a date at the restaurant? You could do your couple stuff while working. At least dad would yell at you guys for driving away business with your gross Zeke and Tina romance instead of yelling at us.” Louise says. 

“Lou, I ain’t takin’ T-Bird to our job as a first date. Ya already said y’all would cover, no take-backs.” 

“Oh yeah? Did I swear a blood oath, huh? I’m not bound to keep my word.” 

“Stop bein’ a pain in the ass, Louise.” Zeke's cool temper is being tested by his bestie right now. He understands that she can be difficult, but something has gotten into her today. 

“Fridays are shit! We can barely manage when you and Tina are around, and you think we’re gonna be fine without you guys?” 

“Maybe we can barely manage because you and Gene don’t do anything!” Tina shouts. “Zeke and dad are the ones cooking, while mom and I serve tables. What do you two do?!” 

“Excuse me? Providing entertainment for the customers is a hard job! You could only dream of this talent!” Gene gasps, insulted. 

“We work when we can Tina! We have homework, we're _busy_ people!” Louise highlights, her arms in the air.

“And you’re saying Zeke and I don’t have those responsibilities?!” Tina's voice cracks from yelling. “We’re in our senior year, homework is even more important to us! We still work! You and Gene leave and do whatever you want, and I don’t complain. Let Zeke and I do it for one day!” 

“Oh, I see how it is,” Louise screams. “I guess you take priority over us. It’s always ‘Tina’s college fund' and now it's 'Tina's date time.' You don’t give a shit about us!” 

Zeke slams his foot on the breaks, coming to a sudden stop. _Yep, he wasn’t gonna deal with this today._ He takes the opportunity to breathe and regain control of his temper. 

“Zeke?! What gives??” Louise yelps, holding on to Tina’s seat tightly. 

“All right, y’all are walkin’ back.” Zeke announces casually. “Me an’ T-Bird are gonna be out, so y’all best do your jobs well.” 

He definitely has a death wish, seeing Louise’s face contort into an almost rabid rage. 

"Are you serious?" Louise shrieks.

"As serious as I'm capable of bein'." 

"Why are you taking Tina's side, Zeke? Are we just not your friends anymore now that you're up in Tina's cooch?"

"Cut it out," Zeke hears his voice starting to rise. "Ya know I hate that type of talk."

"It's true! You were cool until last weekend, now you're Tina's dog!"

"Ya should get out before I help ya out," Zeke shoots a look at Louise through his rearview mirror, one that Louise knows is serious.

“That’s cute, Zeke! It’s gonna be great seeing you FIRED!” Louise screeches, slamming the door behind her. Gene silently follows after her, giving Zeke a disapproving look.

Zeke lets out a sigh, sinking into his seat. He feels like shit for calling Louise out like that, but she was crossing the line. The Belchers’ financial situation wasn’t his business, but he knows that they are tight on money. That’s why he insisted that Bob didn’t give him a raise. It’s not Tina’s fault that their situation is the way it is. He takes another deep breath to calm himself.

“Guess I gotta go job huntin’ after our date.” He drums his fingers on the steering wheel. 

“No,” Tina places her hand gently on Zeke’s shoulder. Her touch alone calms Zeke’s nerves. “I already told dad that we were going to be out. And Louise may be mad, but she likes you. She won’t get you fired.”

“I know,” He lets out another breath. “She was actin’ like a brat. Ya know I love Lou, but I wasn’t gonna tolerate any of that talk.” 

Tina nods, sharing a sigh with him. 

“She’s been pretty irritable lately. I don’t know what’s wrong.” 

“Maybe we should save the date fer another day,” Zeke hates that he was suggesting this, but Tina was rightfully worried about her sister. He’s honestly worried as well, not experiencing a bad outburst from Louise in a while. 

“No. The thing that Louise needs right now is space.” 

“Ya sure, T-Bird? We still got a few hours till our reservation, we could spend some time with Lou.” 

“Trust me. We’re the last people that she’d want to talk to right now.” 

Zeke feels even worse at that statement, wishing to take back his confrontation now.

“I think I fucked up, T-Bird.” 

“You’re fine, Zeke. If you didn’t kick her out, it would’ve gotten worse. You did the right thing.” 

He feels his insides turn to liquid for Tina. She might sound monotone, but she’s one of the most expressive people he knows. The hard grip he wasn’t even aware of loosened on his steering wheel. Her words were enough to release all the tension in his body. _It was incredible what love could do._

“Thanks, Tina.” Her name bounces sweetly off his tongue. He loves how her name sounds as it leaves his lips, but her nickname also stuck to him. He couldn’t part with calling her T-Bird, but he makes sure to use her name when he wants her to hear. 

Seeing Tina smile and blush at him is worth expressing himself for. 

_____________________________

They spend their afternoon at Wonder Wharf, playing the various arcade games. Zeke easily wins Tina the best prizes, courtesy of the knowledge that Louise passed down to him about the various Wonder Wharf cheats. Tina herself wins a few stuff for Zeke, using a few tricks she discovered on her own. He didn't know that Tina has a bad bone in her body, even though he had witnessed her rebellious side a few times. That was under Louise's influence. Tina opening cheating at the boardwalk games on her own is something he never thought he'd see. And even more surprising, she looks happy about it.

If he’s being honest, he hasn’t seen Tina enjoy herself like this in a while. She was always at the restaurant, doing everyone’s work. He felt bad whenever Louise roped him into her plans, but Tina seemed content with covering their shifts. Zeke decides that he wouldn't put his work on Tina from now on. After all, seeing her carefree and having fun is a sight he loves to see. 

“...Avoid the target practice games,” Tina says between bites of cotton candy. She offers Zeke some, but he declines. Pure sugar is too sweet for his tastes. “They’re rigged. Focus on the balloon popping games or the basketball toss, the ones that require skill.” 

He accidentally tunes her out again, but understanding the context of her sentence isn’t difficult. 

“The target practice is winnable,” Zeke feels the mischievous side of him stir. 

“...Not since Fischoeder bought new equipment.” 

“That’s just what he wants ya to think,” Zeke winks at her. “Watch an’ learn, Bird.” 

Zeke buys himself a large cup of popcorn, making sure to oil up his hands. Tina follows him intently, curious at his plan. He couldn’t help but relish in her attention. 

“Ya see that booth over there?” Zeke points in the direction of the ball toss. “Mr. Fischoeder thought that shake proofin’ would solve his problems, but it’s easy to get the top prize, even without the extra shake comin’ from the coaster.” 

He approaches the booth, slapping a 5 dollar bill down. Logan Bush places three baseballs on the counter, uninterested in their presence. 

“Logan is the main reason why this is easy,” Zeke whispers while oiling up the ball. “He doesn't give a shit where we aim, as long as it ain’t at him.” 

Zeke directs Tina's eyes at the piece of wood that was jutting out through the prize wall. He makes sure to throw the ball as hard as he can, aiming for the edge. The ball slips and bounces into the bottle. 

“Oh, wow. Zit successfully extorted a carny game all by himself. Color me impressed.” Logan sarcastically says, tossing Zeke a stuffed bear. 

“Ya should be worryin’ bout the berries growin’ on that face of yers, Berry Bush.” 

“Shut the fuck up, kid. Did the Four-Eared snot stain tell you that one too?” 

“Nah. One of my originals. How do ya like it?”

“It’s smelly, just like you,” Logan flips him off, which doesn’t bother him. “Not as cringy compared to the twins, though. So there’s my mandatory compliment.” 

He feels puzzled but accepts the compliment anyways. In their weird misfit group, Logan is the misfit among misfits. Zeke didn't like the idea of a 19-year-old hanging out with a group of 13-year-olds (as well as a 15-year-old and himself, but he can let that slide) at first, but he quickly discovered that Logan might as well be 13. He acts less mature than even Andy and Ollie at times. Most of the group doesn't like him, but Louise insists that his age is an asset to them, so nobody complains. He slides Logan an extra dollar, as a token of thanks for his services. 

“Take it easy, Bush. Send my regards to the therapist.” 

Zeke walks away with a very confused Tina in his arm. She looks behind them at the livid Logan Bush, who is yelling various slurs directed towards them, then back at Zeke. 

“Uhhh, what was that?” 

“Don’t worry bout it, T-Bird. Just two friends havin’ a convo,'' Zeke hands her the bear tucked into his arm, making sure to not get any oil on it. 

“Are you sure that you two are friends? That conversation didn’t seem too friendly.” 

“When _is_ Logan Bush friendly, T-Bird?” 

“Good point,” Tina takes the last bite out of her cotton candy, finishing it. “Ergh. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten cotton candy with an empty stomach. That kind of spoiled my appetite.” 

“Darn, that’s quite a shame,” Zeke dramatically shakes his head, giving Gene a run for his money. “I only booked us reservations to Gouda Cheese Emporium.” 

“Do you mean _the_ Gouda Cheese Emporium?” Tina’s eyes widen like saucers. 

“I said whut I said,” Zeke smiles. 

Tina squeezes the bear in her arms with excitement, kissing Zeke on the cheek. _Cheese was the way to Tina’s heart._ Zeke felt the spot where her lips were, his cheek starting to heat up. He feels the excitement from her spread to his heart. 

“I can’t believe it, how did you book a reservation?” She asks. 

“I saved a lot of money.”

“How did you get all that money in a week?” Tina questions.

“I may have been savin’ fer our date fer a long time...” Zeke knows he was blushing now, his whole face feeling hot. 

Tina stops in her tracks, looking quite stunned. They were both blushing, awkwardly standing in place. He can see the cheap carnival ride lights reflect from Tina’s thick-rimmed glasses. The urge to kiss her is bubbling back in his gut. He wipes his hand on his pants to make sure that the oil was gone, before resting his hand against her cheek. 

Tina beat him to it, smashing her lips on his briefly. It was over before Zeke realized that they kissed to begin with. 

“Uhhhhh,” Tina groans, her cheeks turning a rosier pink. 

Zeke leans back in, capturing her lips in a long kiss that they have the time to enjoy. He feels Tina run her fingers through his hair, which sends a shiver down his spine. He holds her closer to make sure that she was wrapped in his arms. A faint “get a room already” yelled by Logan put them back in Earth’s orbit. 

Tina places her hand on top of Zeke’s, a soft smile spreading across her lips. Zeke swears that she was glowing at that very moment. 

“I’m happy with you,” She is quiet, but her voice was the only sound that Zeke could hear. 

“I’m happy with ya too, T-Bird.” 

Zeke wants to stay in the middle of Wonder Wharf with Tina forever, but the sun was starting to set across the sky, indicating that the evening was quickly approaching. After playing a few more games, they decide to call it a day at the wharf and head over to their reservation on the other side of town. 

____________________________

Zeke immediately knows that they are underdressed as soon as they step foot into the establishment. Every customer is wearing formal wear. Him and Tina stand out like a sore thumb. They didn't bother to think about changing their attire because they weren't used to it. There’s barely a dress code at Bob's Burgers, the only rule is to keep your shirt on (this rule was put in place due to Gene). 

Luckily for them, formal wear isn’t required. They are still getting a lot of dirty looks for their appearances, but they still got a table. He truthfully doesn’t understand why the customers look so disgusted by them. It isn’t like they are wearing anything indecent. Zeke does his best to ignore the people around them since Tina is doing the same. 

“Wow. A mini cheese fountain,” Tina browses through the menu. “...With rosemary-infused crackers. Expensive.” 

“Order what ya want, T. I’ll pay for it.” 

“Are you sure, Zeke?” She looks a bit uncomfortable. “This is really romantic but really expensive. Some of these dishes probably cost more than the equipment at our restaurant.” 

“I told ya that I’ve been savin’ fer this, T-Bird,” Zeke holds her hand from across the table, hoping to reassure her. 

Tina resumes looking at the menu, while skimming through the items. It’s true that eating here would blow through his savings, but Zeke had been saving specifically to take Tina out. If he has to blow his cash, then she’s the person he’d spend everything on. 

“I always thought that I’d want to go here, but maybe we should go somewhere else...” Tina says.

“Is it cuz of the menu, T-Bird?” Zeke asks, feeling worried beyond belief. Tina isn’t as happy as he expected her to be. 

"Partially,” She sighs. “Zeke, I know I was excited about this, but you don’t need to spend this much on our date. I’m happy regardless, as long as we’re together.” She squeezes his hand, giving him _that_ look. 

“But I know ya wanted to try this place out.”

“I do, but maybe when we both have enough money to put into the check. It’s not fair if you pay for everything.”

“I’m treatin’ ya out, T. Ya don’t need to pay.” 

“But this is a date and a start to our relationship. Relationships are built on fairness and equality. I think we should both split the bill, which I can’t do at this place.” 

This girl knows how to leave him speechless. He has no idea how to respond to the kindness that she threw at him all at once. 

“Zeke...?” Tina furrows her eyebrows in concern. 

“Don’t worry girl, I’m alive!” He jolts himself straight. “I just... I just wasn’t expectin’ that.”

“I’m flattered that you want to pay for the full check, though,” Tina places down her menu. “You’re sweet, Zeke.” 

“Of course, girl.” 

Reaching a silent but mutual agreement, they both stand up to leave. Tina is already checking her phone for new places to eat. Zeke looks over her shoulder to see the suggestions the phone pulls up, but a group of people walk into the restaurant that catches his eye. His face falls, immediately recognizing them. Tina’s expression is similar when she notices who he is staring at. 

Tammy and her parents are chatting up the waiter who was checking for their reservation. Jimmy Jr.is with them, standing next to Tammy with a limp hand around her waist. He is on his phone, ignoring Tammy and her parents.

Mrs. Larsen’s vision snaps from the waiter to Zeke. She alerts her husband and points in their direction. Mrs. Larsen’s commotion catches Jimmy Jr.’s attention, and he notices Tina. Zeke doesn’t know what to do except to stand protectively in front of Tina. He could see that she was in shock at seeing Jimmy Jr. He truthfully was too. 

“Shit,” Zeke mutters. “Why the hell are they here?!”

“It’s Tammy,” Tina replies. “Only luxury is acceptable to her. I don’t know why Jimmy Jr. is her date, though.” 

Tammy surprisingly looks uncomfortable approaching them, as she tries to pull her parents away. Her parents ignore her, and storm towards Zeke. Jimmy Jr. is behind them, shooting accusatory looks at Zeke and Tina. 

“We didn’t expect to see you here tonight, Ezekiel.” Tammy’s father stops in front of them. He sounds like a snake with how much he’s seething. 

“Likewise, Mr. L.”

“So you dumped my daughter to date her mortal enemy?” Tammy’s mother shoves past her husband, while pointing a finger into Zeke’s chest. 

He wants to say something, he really does, but nothing came out. Zeke is tongue-tied. He can’t tell the truth, because that would out Tammy. But if he plays along then the situation would only escalate. He feels his body stiffen and his muscles tense. A hand slips into his own behind him, giving him a comforting squeeze. _His saving grace._ Tina emerges from behind his frame, while straightening her glasses. 

“We shouldn’t discuss personal matters in a public place,” Tina replies, cooly. “Zeke and Tammy’s business is their own, it’s up to them on how they handle that.” 

“Oh look, It’s the homewrecking Belcher,” Mrs. Larsen’s nose crinkles in disgust. 

Zeke clenches his jaw shut in a futile effort to salvage his temper. Despite this, he can feel the harsh words in his throat starting to surface into sentences. Another squeeze from Tina indicates that he needs to keep himself together. For her sake, he stays quiet. 

“I didn’t split Tammy and Zeke up, because they were never together. That’s a story for Tammy to tell you on her own terms.” 

“Tina-” Tammy says, distressed. 

“I’m not going to tell them, Tammy. That’s up to you. But I deserve to defend myself and my boyfriend, don’t you think?” 

“What?” Tammy’s mother is no longer aggressive, but she still looks suspiciously at Tina.

Tina decides to leave the conversation at that, walking past them with Zeke in hand. Tammy’s parents don’t stop them, but Jimmy Jr. had other plans. He forcefully grabs Tina’s arm and keeps her in place. 

For a moment, Zeke was scared of Tina’s reaction. He was afraid that she would be happy about Jimmy Jr. touching her and giving her attention. His anxiety quickly vanished when he sees how upset Tina looks. 

“Tina, what are you doing?” Jimmy Jr. scowls, his grip tightening around her. 

Zeke feels his anger boiling over, threatening to come loose. He knows that Tina doesn’t need him butting in, but Zeke impulsively steps forward. He refuses to let Jimmy Jr. treat her like he owns her again. 

“Get yer hand off her, J-Ju. We’re leavin’.” Even though Zeke is shorter than Jimmy Jr., the taller boy slightly cowers. However, he doesn’t let go of Tina. 

“This is me and Tina’s business, Zeke,” Jimmy Jr. turns his attention back to her, the only attention he ever spared. “When did you and Zeke get together?” 

Tina keeps quiet, but her eyes spoke the words for her. She jerks her arm out of his grip and continues walking out of the restaurant’s doors with Zeke.

__________________________________

Once they are safely in Zeke’s truck, Tina starts groaning loudly. Zeke knows that she is distressed, but has no idea how to soothe her. He does his best, and rests his hand against her back. 

“Ya okay, T-Bird?” He mentally slaps himself as soon as the question leaves his mouth. _She obviously wasn’t okay, dumbass._

Tina keeps groaning, tucking her legs against her chest. It makes Zeke’s heart ache that he didn’t know what to do. 

“We can get outta here, I can take ya home,” Zeke suggests. 

“No!” Tina yells, sharply. “They can’t ruin our date like this.” 

“Are ya sure, T? Y’know we can always try again when yer feelin’ better.” 

“I’m fine, Zeke,” Tina snaps at him. 

“Ya don’t sound fine.”

“I said I’m fine!” Tina slams her fists against his dashboard. 

“T-Bird...”

“Okay, maybe I’m not fine!” Tina wipes the tears that are accumulating under her eyes. Zeke opens his glove compartment to grab her some tissues that he kept in there. 

“Yer a bad liar, T-Bird,” Zeke says, quietly. 

“I know,” She sighs, taking the tissues from him. “Jimmy Jr. was just too much. Why is he going out with Tammy if he has a girlfriend? Fake dates or not, he’s taken.” 

“I dunno,” Zeke admits. “This was a disaster.” 

“No, Zeke. Well, okay, maybe we shouldn’t go to that restaurant again. But I had a lot of fun on this date. I had a lot of fun with you.” 

“I wanted things to go perfect, girl. I thought we’d be eatin’ cheese and enjoyin’ ourselves right now.”

“I’m enjoying myself right now, with you.” 

“Yer cryin’, T-Bird.”

“Yeah but that’s not because of you,” Tina leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m just mad at Jimmy Jr. and Tammy’s parents.”

“Ya get mad?” Zeke jokes. 

Tina stares blankly up at him, the joke not landing. 

“Yes Zeke, I get mad.” 

“I was jokin’, T.” 

“Oh.” 

The truck goes silent, which Zeke would normally hate. Silence makes him feel uncomfortable and fidgety under normal circumstances, but Tina is the exception. Her presence never made him uncomfortable, and sometimes the silence helps him appreciate her company more. He waits for her patiently to talk when she is ready.

He notices that Tina is looking up at the dark sky. He knows that she got lost in her own thoughts, something that he’s also guilty of. Zeke looks up at the sky with her, not looking at anything in particular. There weren’t any stars out, or even the moon peeking out from the clouds. It was just dark. 

“What’re you thinkin’ bout?” He finally asks. He wanted to wait for her to talk, but he was curious.

“A food truck to go to.” She responds. 

_Zeke is a bit shocked that she wasn’t thinking about Jimmy Jr., but he feels happy that wasn’t the case. The last person he wants to talk about is Jimmy Jr., although he would if Tina was bothered by her thoughts of him._

“Got a place in mind?” 

She nods. 

“Chilly Cheese Truck. It’s parked near the Wonder Wharf right now.” 

“How can a name sound both hot an’ cold?” 

“They sell philly cheese steaks with chilis. That’s the pun.” Tina explains, the joke not landing again. 

"I could actually go fer that.” Zeke reaches for the key to start the truck’s engine. 

“Wait. Can we stay here for a little bit longer?” Tina asks, cuddling against Zeke. 

“Of course, T. Aren’t ya hungry, though?”

“Yeah. But being here in the dark and alone is pretty nice, isn’t it?” 

Her voice is low and sultry, a tone that Zeke never heard from her. She never ceases to amaze him. He swallows a lump in his throat, suddenly aware of how close of proximity they are to each other. 

“Yea, it is,” He agrees. 

He feels Tina’s fingers dance from his chest up to his neck, as her face pulls closer to his. His breath hitches in his throat, feeling his heartbeat in his ears. 

“It’s a perfect kissing atmosphere, isn’t it?”

"Yea,” Zeke whispers. _He didn't understand the mood shift, but he liked it._

Tina closes the distance between them, kissing him slowly. She readjusts her body against him, pressing herself to his chest. Zeke can feel her heartbeat beat with his, and it drives him wild. He holds her closer to him, deepening their kiss. He wants to feel more of Tina, but he keeps her hand planted firmly on her back. Risking her comfort is the last thing he wanted. 

Tina’s lips leave his, as they both pant for air. Zeke quickly learned to love it when Tina kisses him that passionately. He can’t stop himself from admiring all her features, from her plump lips to her perfect thighs. He loves every single part of her. 

“Damn girl, yer makin’ me hungry fer somethin’ else.” He winks at her, smiling. 

“Do you want to...?” She trails off. 

Zeke's comment catches up with his brain, realizing what he was insinuating. 

“I-I didn’t mean it like that,” He feels his heart race back to his ears again. His whole body is heating up. “I mean I want ya, but maybe not in the parkin’ lot. I meant I wanna kiss ya more. Dammit, I need to shut up.” 

“You’re fine, Zeke,” Tina pecks his lips lightly. “I know you want to take stuff slowly.” 

“Thanks, girl.” Zeke sighs in relief. “I didn’t mean it that way, I just was bein’ stupid and didn’t think through whut I was sayin’. I hope I didn’t make ya uncomfortable.” 

“You didn’t. I was a bit confused but not uncomfortable.” 

“Good,” Zeke tucks a tuft of her hair behind her ear. “Mind if I kiss ya, again?”

Tina nods, and they resume their kiss. It was shorter than the last one, but that was only because Zeke’s stomach growled loudly. Tina laughs at his expense, but he didn’t mind. He finds it pretty funny too. 

“You’re hungrier than you let on. Let’s go.” Tina buckles in her seatbelt, resting her hand on his lap. Satisfaction runs through Zeke’s mind, glancing at her messy hair and slightly swollen lips before shifting the truck into drive.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeke and Tina sit on the beach and talk. Louise and Gene join their date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! If you enjoy my Zina content, pls follow my Tumblr @plooflees! Lots of Zina content on there ;D

_ Chilly Cheese Truck is a new favorite. _

Zeke finishes the last bite of his sandwich, relaxing on the soft sand. It was Tina’s idea to eat on the beach and a good one. It isn’t windy so the sand didn’t get in their food, and the ocean gives them a nice view. Well, it would be a nice view if Zeke was looking at it. He prefers to keep his eyes on the view in front of him, which is Tina. She hasn’t completely finished her cheesesteak yet, paying more attention to her phone than her food. He assumes that she is texting Gene since she ordered two additional cheesesteaks along with her’s. Zeke doesn’t mind, it allows him to stare at Tina without making it awkward.

“Do you mind if my siblings come down and join us?” Tina asks, glancing up from her phone. 

“Yea, girl. As long as we’re all good.”

“Louise is still angry,” Tina leans on him, playing with the sand underneath her hands. “But Gene said she’s willing to talk.”

Zeke ponders on this, unsure if he wants to deal with Louise. 

“I dunno, T-Bird. I don’t wanna have problems.” 

“If she’s acting up, we’ll take her home,” says Tina. 

Zeke feels a bit of disappointment at her comment. He doesn’t want to be selfish, but he loves spending alone time with Tina. They see each other every day, but alone time was a rarity. Shouldn’t they get more alone time on their date? Jimmy Jr. and Tammy already reared their heads into their evening, now Gene and Louise? He swallows his disappointment down and smiles instead. 

“Sure thing, girl.” 

Tina seems to notice this. 

“They don’t have to come. I like our time together.” 

“Nah, girl!” Zeke holds her hand. “If they wanna come, then they should come.” 

“You don’t seem happy about it.” 

“Ya said that Louise is fine. We shouldn’t have any issues,” Zeke says, hoping that he could convince Tina. She was right, he wasn’t happy about it, but he knows that Tina wants to talk to her siblings. Who was he to deny her request? 

“Alright, then,” Tina says with hesitance while texting a response back to Gene. 

“I do wanna enjoy the time we have before they come, if that’s alright with ya,” He rests his cheek on Tina’s head. He feels anxiety rising, but he tries to push it down. He needs to communicate to her about what’s bothering him, but how would she react? 

“We weren’t doing that already?” Tina asks. “I’m having a good time.” 

“Oh, no girl. I meant that I wanna do somethin’.” 

“Oh.”

This catches Tina’s interest.

“What do you have in mind?”

“I was thinkin’ just a quick walk along the beach. I wanna talk with ya bout somethin’.” He stands up, offering her his hand.

“Okay. Cool.” She takes it.

Her hand in his causes his brain to short circuit. Everything he planned to say was washed away, like the sand on the shore. He can’t get his words out. 

They walk hand in hand, silence surrounding them. The waves and the faint sound of arcade games are the only things heard in the night. They’re both in their own thoughts, Zeke knows this. Tina’s probably thinking about her siblings, but what is he thinking about? His mind slips into the earlier events with Tammy and Jimmy Jr. Zeke feels the anger rise again from remembering how Jimmy Jr. grabbed Tina. 

“I don’t like that J-Ju touched ya, T-Bird,” Zeke blurts out. They both stop walking, and he stares into her illuminated eyes. 

Tina blankly stares at him back, but he knows that she’s surprised by his statement. 

“I didn’t like that he touched me either.” 

“I don’t like J-Ju at all, T.”

“I know.” 

Zeke doesn't know if he’s overthinking, but he feels bothered that Tina didn’t say that she disliked him too. He finally remembers what he needed to say.

“Do ya still like J-Ju, Tina?” Zeke asks. No matter how much he tried not to think about it, he knows that he needs a solid answer.  _ He needs confirmation so he can stop doubting her.  _

“What?” The question caught her off guard. “No, I don’t, Zeke.” 

Zeke feels mortified that he put Tina in this awkward position. He slumps back, feeling relief yet guilt at the same time. He’s being stupid. 

“Yer right.” He sighs. “I dunno what I’m thinkin’.” 

“Do you believe me?” 

Zeke’s unsure. He doesn’t respond and breaks their eye contact. He feels Tina hold his hand tighter. 

“Zeke?” 

“I dunno, Tina,” He says, disheartened. He felt himself starting to crumble. “It’s just that ya have been on an’ off with him fer years. When ya ain’t with him, yer with other people and it don’t last. I just don’t want us to be another relationship fer ya.” 

She is silent at this, which scared him. He didn’t want to lose her, but he needs to get his thoughts out there. Before he could process what’s happening, he feels Tina’s arms around his waist. Her hug was gentle and warm. Zeke feels his heart skip a beat.

“It’s okay. Thinking that is okay,” She hugs him tighter. “I know that I am the way I am, but I also know that you’re different, Zeke. I’ll prove that to you, I promise.” 

“I know I shouldn’t be doubtin’ ya, T-Bird. I wasn’t lyin’ when I said I trust ya. I just don’t wanna be a rebound. That thought hurts.” 

“You’re not,” Tina rests her chin on his shoulder. “I’m not sure about a lot of things, but I’m positive that you aren’t a rebound.” 

“Ya just hated me fer so long...” His voice trails off in the wind. 

“I don’t think I ever hated you,” Tina says. “I hated that I couldn’t get Jimmy Jr.’s attention, and I thought that you were the reason for that. I never hated you as a person.” 

“Ya sure?” Zeke chuckles. “Ya made it clear that I wasn’t welcomed fer a few years.” 

“I was being petty,” Tina pulls away from his shoulder to cup his cheek with her hand. “I denied it, but you became a valued friend to me a while ago, Zeke. And now you’re my valued boyfriend.”

Zeke holds her hand in place, his emotions swirling through his mind. He loves and trusts Tina. He knows that she’s telling the truth, but why was he so... apprehensive? He wants the best for both of them, and there’s nothing he wants more than Tina’s affection. Why is he so doubtful? 

“T-Bird, I’m worried bout us.”

“Talk to me, Zeke. We have time,” She supportively smiles. 

“I ain’t meanin’ to be doubtful. It’s just all these thoughts have been swarmin’ in my head since ya confessed. I feel like I haven’t...processed it.”

“That’s okay. It was sudden.” 

“Yea, it was. Ya know I like ya, T-Bird. I’ve liked ya forever now,” Zeke says, downplaying his affections. He’s in love with Tina, but he isn’t going to tell her that right now. “I like ya because ya know what ya want. Ya work hard to get that, but ya make sure to think bout others while thinkin’ bout yerself. Yer smart, creative, carin’, and ambitious.”

Tina’s cheeks flush a shade of pink. He could feel her skin heat up against his cheek. It makes him feel good.

“...But whut’s so great bout me..?” He asks.

“What?” Tina responds, startled by the question. 

“Whut do ya think is great bout me?” 

Tina seems to contemplate the question.

“I like that you can smile through things. You make any situation a good one,” She says, thoughtfully. “You know when you should be mature, and you keep calm. You can be patient and gentle. I thought you were the total opposite, but you proved me wrong.” 

“Woah, I didn’t expect ya to say so much.”

“Was that too much?” 

“Nah, I needed to hear that from ya. Thank ya, T-Bird.” He says, kissing her on the cheek. 

They both are still in the sand, enjoying each other’s presence. It’s noticeably silent, but Zeke appreciates it. He feels a little more confident in his trust for Tina, just because she reassured him. 

“What should we do now?” She asks him. He knows that she’s referring to their relationship. 

Zeke doesn’t know. There’s nothing more he wants than to be with Tina. He wants to spend his future with her. But what does she want? When he thinks of them together, he mainly thinks of his ideal life. What about her? 

“What do ya want?” He turns the question on her. 

“I want you to trust me. I want to be in a relationship with you. I want...” Tina trails off. 

Zeke lightly kisses her palm and hopes that she continues with her thoughts. 

“...I want you to be comfortable with me.” She says.

“I am comfortable with ya, Tina.” 

“Are you?” She asks, skeptically.

“I am.” 

“You have doubts, Zeke. You might be comfortable in my presence, but you aren’t comfortable with aspects of me.” 

Well, he couldn’t deny that. 

“I want you to be comfortable with me. I can’t magically fix your doubts, but I can try to understand them,” She continues. “If you trust me, we can have plenty of time to talk about your doubts together.” 

“I’d like that,” Zeke responds, throwing his arm over her shoulder. “I’m sorry that I’m all over the place tonight.” 

“I’m all over the place too. We’re both wrecks tonight.” She smiles and holds his waist close to her. “We have plenty of time to figure stuff out. This talk was a good start.” 

They walk back to their spot on the beach while leaning against each other. Zeke notices that he doesn’t feel as stressed as before. 

_ This date ain’t bad. He concluded to himself. _

_______________________________

Zeke could see Tina’s siblings in their spot by the time they were back. Gene already helped himself to a Philly cheesesteak, while Louise sat a distance behind him. Her back is turned away from them. 

Gene notices them and jumps up to greet them. 

“Hey, Soul Sister! How’s your Mr. Mister?”

“That was corny, Gene,” Tina said. 

“Yea. Gotta agree with T-Bird on that one, Gene. Ya can do better.” 

Gene scoffed at them both, crossing his arms. 

“I graciously forgive you both for yelling at us earlier, and you thank me by insulting my one-liners? Ungrateful, I say!” Gene says, making sure to stretch out certain words to get his point across. 

“That makes one of us,” Louise shouted, glaring at Tina and Zeke over her shoulder.

Gene’s tone immediately changes, his smile faltering slightly. He moves closer between Zeke and Tina, his voice lowering.

“I might have lied to you a little bit,” Gene admits to Tina. “Louise isn’t just angry, she’s pissed. I had to drag her here.” 

Tina groans and Zeke rolls his eyes. He isn’t surprised that she’s still angry, but he didn’t want to deal with her right now especially if she doesn’t want to be cooperative. 

“What are we supposed to do?” Tina asks, looking at her brother and Zeke.

How was he supposed to know? He and Louise might be close, but Gene and Tina are her siblings. If they didn’t know what to do, how could he suggest anything better? 

“Uh, did ya tell her that we’re sorry?” Zeke asks Gene. 

Gene nodded, looking at his sister who was sitting alone in the sand. 

“I did. She said to fuck off.” 

“Yep. That’s Louise.” Tina groaned. “She has to hear it for herself.” 

Tina left the boys’ sides, sitting next to Louise on the sand. They exchange a few words that Zeke can’t hear. Tina offers her a cheesesteak, but Louise smacks it out of her hands. Their voices start to become louder until they’re both screaming at each other again.

Zeke and Gene exchange worried glances. Zeke feels like he should intervene, but should he involve himself? When he did that earlier today, he felt like he made the situation worse. This seems to be family business, and Zeke feels out of place. Before he could tell Gene that he was leaving, he felt Gene pull on his shirt. 

“What’re you doing? We gotta defuse this!” He points to the arguing girls. 

“I dunno, Gene. This feels like a situation that y’all should settle on yer own. I’m not the best at sortin’ out Louise.” 

“What? You can’t ditch! This is an emergency, I can’t tame these animals on my own!” 

“Trust me, I wanna help. But T is usually the voice of reason when there are arguments. I just support her. I’m honestly not sure if we can do this, Gene.” 

“We gotta try. They’re gonna start getting physical soon!” 

“Alright, alright. We’ll try.” He says, trying to ease Gene. 

Taking a deep breath, Zeke trails behind Gene to confront the angry girls. He figures that Tina would be easy to calm down, but Louise was a different story. They both are shouting, but neither of them sounds coherent to Zeke. He waits for Gene to speak up, but Gene looks back at him. Gene expects him to do all the talking. He isn’t surprised. 

“Okay, what’s all this about?” Zeke’s voice cuts through their yelling. Tina looks at him with relief, while Louise snaps her head in his direction. Her eyes were practically stabbing into his own. 

“You have some nerve,” She says, stomping towards him.

“Woah girl, calm down. That hot head of yer’s ain’t thinking straight right now.” 

“You don’t tell me how to think, Zeke!” Louise shouts in his face. 

“Okay, fine,” Zeke reasons, trying not to trigger Louise any further. “Can ya tell me what’s goin’ on here to justify shoutin’, then?” 

Tina lingers behind her sister, keeping a distance. 

“You and Tina are the problem!” Louise shouts.

“Say whut now?” 

“I thought that things would be okay if you and Tina are together. You’re one of my friends, and you’re a hell of a lot better compared to that whiny son of a bitch Pesto. But you guys suck!” 

Zeke couldn’t process all the information thrown at him. Things being okay? Whiny bitch of a Pesto? They suck? Things were going too fast for him, and he couldn’t keep up. 

“Woah. Slow down, girl. I don’t get what yer tryin’ to say.” 

“Useless!” Louise snaps, storming off. 

Gene runs after his sister to presumably calm her down, signaling Zeke and Tina to stay where they are. Tina sits back in the sand, burying her head in her arms and tucking herself into a ball. Zeke cautiously sits beside her, resting his hand on Tina’s shoulder. Tina comforted him this way, he hopes that he can do the same for her. She peeks through her arm, a frown on her face. 

“Louise is unhappy that we’re in a relationship,” She says, a slight hint of bitterness lacing through her words. 

“Yea, I can tell that much,” Zeke awkwardly chuckled. “But why? She was the one who kinda played cupid. I don’t get why she’s feelin’ upset.” 

“I think she’s afraid,” Tina says, cuddling into Zeke. He felt his insides warm up as he held Tina closer to him. “She’s afraid that we’re growing up.” 

“Whut makes ya think that?”

“I didn’t understand much of her shouting and she was mainly throwing out insults but I can see it. She gets defensive and angry when she’s afraid.” 

“Why would she be afraid that we’re growin’ up?” 

“Uh. I don’t know. I want her to be happy, but I don’t want to give up my happiness. I don’t want to give up my chance of growing up and being the best Tina I could be so Louise can be happy. Is that selfish?” 

“Nah, girl. Ya got potential to be somethin’ great. Nobody should hold ya down from that chance. Not me, not Louise, not no one.”

“How am I supposed to tell her that?”

“I’d just show, not tell. She’d have to accept that on her own.” 

Tina relaxes against him, feeling the sand beneath her fingers. They both absently look at the gentle waves of the ocean. Zeke knows that she’s in her thoughts again, so he doesn’t expect her to respond. Besides, he has the opportunity to appreciate the moment. He can appreciate Tina’s beautiful self next to him, the Wonder Wharf lights reflecting from the water, the warm sand, the hot night, and the smell of salt in the air. He normally didn’t bother to notice the small things in his life, but Tina really helps him enjoy things. Even when he doubts her, he still enjoys her company.  _ She’s one captivating girl, all right.  _

Zeke notices Gene and Louise returning from the corner of his eye, but he chooses to pretend that he didn’t see them. He holds his breath as Louise passes him without a word. She silently sits beside Tina while Gene lays down near Zeke, giving him a thumbs up. Zeke feels a smile forming on his face, which he doesn’t try to hide. Gene might think that he’s terrible with emotional assurance, but he must be pretty good if he calmed down Louise. 

“I’m sorry,” Louise mumbles under her breath, barely audible. 

Tina and Zeke exchange glances surprised that she actually apologized. 

“You’re welcome! She couldn’t have done it without me!” Gene says, smugly.

“Shut up. You did nothing.” Louise glares at her brother. 

“Listening to you and giving you advice is nothing? I guess I’m just chopped liver to everyone tonight!” Gene grumbles. 

“...Anyways...” Louise sighs. “I’m sorry. I’m not good at emotions. They’re gross.” 

“Yer forgiven,” Zeke says casually. He didn’t want Louise to feel even worse than she might be feeling now. 

“You and T aren’t a problem. I’m the real problem,” Louise pauses, uncertainly glancing at Gene. He nods, encouraging her to continue. “When you and Tina actually became a thing, things got real. I realized that maybe you guys are older than me, and I’m the only one who’s at Wagstaff. I just felt...”

Louise’s fists ball up, and she turns away from them. 

“God, this is stupid.” Louise spits.

“It’s not stupid, Louise,” Tina says thoughtfully. “You’re talking about how you feel.” 

“Yes, T. Thanks for the information that nobody here knows.” 

“You’re welcome... Oh. That was supposed to be sarcasm, wasn’t it.” 

Louise sighs in irritation, getting up. 

“I don’t want to get into it. I’m just sorry.” 

Tina stands up after her, pulling her into a hug. Louise tried to squirm out of her grip, but was unsuccessful. 

“Thirty seconds!” Louise yelps, still trying to push Tina off of her. “Remember our thirty-second affection timer!” 

Gene joins in the hug, tightly squeezing Louise. Zeke feels his heart slightly ache at the sight, still sitting in the sand. The Belchers were such a happy family who stuck together, even with their chaotic lives. He wishes that his own family could be the same, but his family is different. Louise notices him staring, and frowns. 

“Aren’t you gonna join in?” She asks. “These clowns are crushing me, what’s one more?” 

“I dunno. This is yer guys’ moment.”

“Shut up and join before the thirty seconds are up,” Louise says, almost threatening him. 

Out of joy or out of fear, Zeke gently joins the hug pile. They all are huddled on the beach, giving Louise a hug. Zeke couldn’t help but grin at Louise’s obvious embarrassment. He was also grinning at the fact that the Belchers accepted him to the point where he’s included in the hug circle. With Louise, that’s a big deal. The love in the air is almost palpable. Zeke feels as if he’s melting. As soon as the hug started, it felt like it was over. Louise might secretly enjoy affection, but it’s obviously overwhelming for her. She squirms and shoves her way out of everyone’s arms, shuddering. 

“That was sick,” She gags. 

“I think it was sweet.” Tina piped up, smiling at her sister. 

“How about we compromise with sickeningly sweet?” Gene suggests. 

“That sounds good to me!” Zeke instinctively headlocks Gene and gives him a noogie. “Ya got a smart noggin, Genie!” 

“That was... oddly satisfying! I haven’t had a good head massage in a while, do it again!” Gene says, craning his head to look at Zeke. 

Zeke complies, messing around with Gene some more and playfully wrestling with him. He hasn’t wrestled around with his friends since Jimmy Jr., but he’s quickly enjoying the friendship he has with Gene. He’s comfortable to the point where he wrestles with Gene regularly. 

“Watch out, T. Gene just might come in and steal your man. That’s sexual tension if I ever saw it.” Louise jokes. 

Zeke smirks at Louise’s comment, letting go of Gene and pushing himself off from the sandy ground.

“Oh yeah, Lou? Would ya still call it sexual tension if I getcha next?” 

“Zeke, this isn’t going to be your Belcher harem. You may have gotten Gene and Tina, but you’ll never recruit me into the ranks.” 

“Excuse me? Zeke can’t handle my goods, that’s why he’s dating Tina; the more watered-down version of me.” 

“Gene, I was born first. How am I a version of you?”

As the Belchers resume their daily bickering with each other, Zeke falls back into the contented side of his world. He is with the girl he loves, and with the family he loves. Out of all the scenarios he could have imagined for his first date with Tina, this was nothing he thought of. From arguing with Louise, to running into Jimmy Jr., none of the things that happened tonight were planned. First dates are supposed to be great. Normally he would think that it went wrong. But, he’s with Tina. He’s with the Belchers. This first date was great, with a weird Belcher twist.  _ Zeke wouldn’t have it any other way.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading! Please make sure to read the note at the beginning if you haven’t already!


End file.
